Buried Secrets

Name: Buried Secrets
Genre: Drama, Psychological Thriller
Released: 2009
Duration: 91 min

Director: Raja Amari

Rights:

Highlights

This psychological thriller screened at over 20 film festivals and won three awards.
The film was supported by many organizations, such as the Ministère de la Culture et de la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine, Fonds Sud Cinéma, Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC), Office Fédéral de la Culture, Canal+, Etablissement de la Radio Télévision Tunisienne, and CinéCinéma.
The film features Tunisian actor Dhafer L'Abidine, known for Children of Men (2006), Sex and the City 2 (2010), and Centurion (2010).

2009/ Tunisia91 min/ Drama, Psychological Thriller

Original Title

Dowaha

SYNOPSIS

Aicha, Radia and their mother live removed from the world in the servant’s quarters in a wing of a deserted mansion. The precarious balance of their daily life is shaken by the arrival of a young couple who move into the main house. A bizarre cohabitation develops between the couple and the three women who decide not to make their presence known to their unexpected neighbors. They cannot leave their hiding place as it conceals secrets buried for years.

CAST

Hafsia Herzi
Sondos Belhassen
Wassila Dari
Rim El Benna

CREW

Screenwriter: Raja Amari
DOP: Renato Berta
Editor: Pauline Dairou

Production Company(ies)

Nomadis Images
Akka Films
Les Films d'Ici
in association with Les Films du Requin
Les Films de la Source
with the support of Ministère de la Culture et de la Sauvegarde du Patrimoine
Fonds Sud Cinéma
Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
Office Fédéral de la Culture in participation with Canal+
Etablissement de la Radio Télévision Tunisienne
CinéCinéma

Producer(s)

Dora Bouchoucha
Serge Lalou
Nicolas Wadimoff
Joëlle Bertossa
Lina Chaabane Menzli
Nelly Mabilat
Eric Zaouali
Cyriac Auriol
Julie Gayet
Nadia Turincev

African Film Festival of Verona, Italy

Films from the South, Norway

Rasta International, Serbia

CINEMAFRICA, Sweden

Transilvania Intl Film Festival, Romania

Vaxjo Film Festival, Sweden

Warsaw International Film Festival, Poland

Arab Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands

Associazione Centro Orientamento Educativo, Italy

Bratislava International Film Festival, Slovakia

Chennai International Film Festival, India

Franzosische Filmtage, Germany

Fundación Araguaney, Spain

Festival International du Cinéma Méditerranéen de Tétouan, Morocco

Mostra Internacional de Cinema de Portimão, Portugal

Helsinki African Film Festival (HAFF), Finland

AfricAvenir International – African Renaissance, Development, International Cooperation and Peace, Germany

Brussels Independent Film Festival, Belgium

Kerala International Film Festival, India

'Emile Cantillon' Award and Special Jury Award at the Brussels Independent Film Festival, Belgium

FIPRESCI Prize at the Kerala International Film Festival, India

Reviews

Shadow and Act

Hameed Aqaby - Elaph (Arabic)

Al Manji el Saadani - Asharq Al-Awsat (Arabic)

Quotes

“It’s so rare to watch such a quiet film (not only is the dialogue minimal, and there are no subtitles, but there’s practically no soundtrack), and be able to understand, appreciate, and be moved by it all.” Shadow and Act